AR (Augmented Reality) is known as a technique to provide supplementary information by superimposing information which is created by a computer (a computing machine) on information which is given from real environment to perception.
An AR device performs superimposing and displaying of a character, an image, a picture and so on which are related to an object that a wearer is looking at, on a transmissive display which is worn in front of eyes. This makes it possible to make an invisible portion visible and provide relevant information.
Patent Literature 1 (International Publication WO 2004/095374) discloses a picture object recognition device and a recognition method, a picture annotation giving device and a giving method, and a program. In Patent Literature 1, a system is proposed as a picture annotation giving device, the system recognizing an object in not a picture preliminarily prepared but a picture taken by using a camera by checking with a preliminarily-prepared dictionary in which visual information and position information of objects are recorded, and superimposing and displaying accompanying information preliminarily connected to the object.
As a related technique, Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Patent JP2718387B) discloses a moving object switch device. In Patent Literature 2, a system is proposed as a moving picture hypermedia system, the system preliminarily extracting an object to be displayed in a picture, and connecting the object to preliminarily-created additional information of the object, and then displaying additional information of the object in a picture when the object is designated with a pointing device such as a mouse.
In addition, Patent Literature 3 (Japanese Patent Publication JP-A-Heisei 11-142784) discloses a head-mounted display with a position detecting function. In Patent Literature 3, a see-through head-mounted display having a semi-transmissive screen is proposed as a display for presenting additional information, and a system is proposed, the system providing additional information of an object observed through the screen on the semi-transmissive screen by being provided with a position detecting function to the head-mounted display.
[A Picture Annotation Giving Device]
An example of a configuration of a picture annotation giving device will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
The conventional picture annotation giving device as shown in Patent Literature 1 has an input device, a storage device, an object recognizing device, a display position determining device, and a displaying device. The input device inputs a picture and shooting information. The storage device stores addition information on an object, geographical position information, and a visual feature amount, as object information. The object recognizing device recognizes an object in a picture by using a picture and shooting information from the input device and geographical position information and a visual feature amount from the storage device. The display position determining device determines a display position of addition information. The display device displays the addition information, as a result of the processing by each of the devices.
[A Moving Object Switch Device]
An example of a configuration of a moving object switch device for displaying additional information will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
The conventional moving object switch device as shown in Patent Literature 2 includes a pointing section, a moving picture frame detecting section, a distance measuring section, a distance scale changing section, a moving object region information storing section, and a moving object switch recognizing section. The pointing section inputs a pointing input from a pointing device such as a mouse. The moving picture frame detecting section detects each single image (frame) constituting a moving picture such as a picture. The distance measuring section measures/estimates an actual distance between the moving object switch device and an actual body of an object displayed in a picture. The distance scale changing section changes a scale of the distance. The moving object region information storing section stores preliminarily-created additional information of the object and a display position of the additional information. The moving object switch recognizing section recognizes an object in a picture and displays additional information.
By combining Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, information presentation in accordance with a pointing input through a touch panel can be achieved as shown in FIG. 3.
[A Head-mounted Display]
A configuration of a see-through head-mounted display having a semi-transmissive screen will be shown with reference to FIG. 4.
The conventional see-through head-mounted display as shown in Patent Literature 3 includes a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) camera, an infrared picture processing section, a picture creating section, a projecting section, and a semi-transmissive screen. The CCD camera acquires an infrared image by shooting pictures. The infrared picture processing section performs processing for the infrared image acquired by the CCD camera through picture analysis. The picture creating section generates a on which additional information is displayed based on the infrared image to which picture analysis has been performed. The projecting section achieves, by projecting the video and the additional information on the semi-transmissive screen, provision of the additional information of an object observed through the screen.
When an AR device is a touch panel type detached from a face, pointing inputs such as displaying/deleting of additional information can be performed through a manual operation in real time by a user. However, when an AR device is a head-mounted display type worn on a user's face, pointing such as displaying/deleting of additional information cannot be performed through a manual operation in real time by a user.